Taking My Dad Home (to the Czech Republic)

Aurora Eanna Start Date: Jun 20, 2021 - End Date: Jun 19, 2022

My Travel Story

by: Aurora Eanna Start Date: Jun 20, 2021 - End Date: Jun 19, 2022
I made this campaign so I could take my dad back to his home country, the Czech Republic, and give my siblings & mom a chance to see our heritage. I love my dad very much, and while that may not be a compelling-enough reason to donate a dollar or two, I want to tell you a bit about him.

My dad is a very introverted goofball with (apparently- my brothers, sisters and I can't hear it) a strong accent. He's bald, tall, and has lived in the U.S. for about 20 years now. He came to America with his younger sister and mother at 18 or 19, met my mom a couple years later while working at Walmart, and spawned me and my four younger siblings. With the hassles of having young children and being in the lower-middle class (we had food on the table and more often than not running water), my parents moved around a lot to find work and support us. We were not a rich family, and, with each kid, my mom and dad had to sell more of their prized possessions & heirlooms to buy our diapers and pay hospital bills.

I'm eternally grateful for everything our parents have done for us. My siblings and I have a solid set of values, and we've learned to appreciate the things we have and work for the things we want. (I suppose an example isn't necessary, but I recently graduated high school. Because of my grades and volunteering, I was able to earn enough scholarships and grants to attend a decent college and pursue a career in genetics!) Even now, though, with the majority of my brothers and sisters being old enough to work (I (Aurora) am 18, with the rest following as 17, 16, 14 and 13), we are still not a rich family.

I would otherwise be okay with this development- it isn't anything new, I've eaten enough hotpockets and bologne sandwiches to know- but I'm not sure how much time my parents have (for lack of a less sad, better word) left. They're getting older, and while I am trying to save money back with each paycheck to fund a family vacation to the Czech Republic (I've $1,050 so far), by the time I have enough I'm worried they may not be able to travel anymore without the trip putting a major strain on their health. I want it to be a vacation they can enjoy and remember into their old age, not one that competes with their health issues or tires them out, if that makes sense.

My mom is a bit older than my dad, and I worry that she may not be up for a grandiose walk-around of Prague in the years it would take for me to save up. Mom has never been out of America, and my dad brags so much about the greatness of his home country that it would mean the world to me to show her a bit of the world and let her return a favor and take my dad home. (Mom was born in Ohio, but our family ended up moving to Pennsylvania when dad found a better paying job there. We spent most of our childhood in PA, but mom really missed Ohio. As a surprise for their anniversery, my dad recently found a place to rent and a job in Ohio so he could "take her back home", hence the personal importance.)

I want to help her take dad home. Sure I'm biased, but I don't know two people who deserve a vacation more than them. They don't ask for much from my siblings and me (beyond keeping the house clean and doing the best we can to accomplish our goals), and, in having sacrificed so much for my siblings and me, I just really want to raise enough for a 3 to 5 day trip. Any donation would really help our family get to the Czech Republic, and even if you can't donate, just a bit of advice about traveling would go a long way! Thank you so much for your time!

~Aurora S. + Family